Each year the gathering is an opportunity for diocesan personnel to share successes and challenges, network with each other, receive professional development and hear from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s (ACBC) Office for Youth.
Representatives from the Dioceses of Sydney, Parramatta, Broken Bay, Wollongong, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Townsville, Cairns, Bathurst, Ballarat, Sandhurst, Wagga Wagga, Melbourne, Hobart and Bunbury were in attendance and members from Darwin and Rockhampton joined the meeting via Skype.
Malcolm Hart and Gabrielle Sinclair from the ACBC Office for Youth also participated for two days and international visitors, Steve Allgeyer and Scott Bagshaw, joined us on Thursday.
Highlights included presentations with Steve Allgeyer (Vice President Ministry Advancement, Life Teen) and Scott Bagshaw (Youth Co-ordinator, St Patrick's Scottsdale, Arizona). There were discussions around diocesan possibilities for the Year of Youth in 2018 and some ‘debriefing’ regarding participation in World Youth Day 2016.
Each year the host diocese organises an excursion to showcase about the local area. A vineyard tour succeeded admirably in achieving this goal!
The next ANDYMC annual members’ meeting will be held in the Diocese of Toowoomba.